


Raising Hell with the Devil

by Antarctic_Echoes



Series: The Devil Loves to Knit [7]
Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Laundry woes, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Other, Penguin angst, Protective Lucifer, Weaponizer and Findus, Weaponizer is a troublemaker, crack fic?, super-fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-30
Updated: 2017-03-30
Packaged: 2018-10-13 00:12:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10502397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antarctic_Echoes/pseuds/Antarctic_Echoes
Summary: Lucifer grapples with his feelings while he and Chloe take care of Weaponizer and Findus at their new home.  Meanwhile, a newcomer threatens Weaponizer’s happiness.Sequel to “One Hell of a Penguin.”





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [moonatoms](https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonatoms/gifts), [fandomoverload](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandomoverload/gifts), [Navaros](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Navaros/gifts), [Arken_Stone1](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arken_Stone1/gifts).



> So many people to thank!
> 
> Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU, Moonatoms, for all your support, encouragement, and SO MANY wonderful plot bunnies! You are awesome! :D
> 
> Thank you, Fandomoverload, for the h/c plot bunny! :) I hope this doesn’t disappoint!
> 
> Thanks so much, Navaros, for the idea of the cup cozy and the hand-holding mittens! <3
> 
> A big thank you to Arken_Stone1 for the idea of Lucifer doing laundry! O_O
> 
> And thank you so very much to everyone who’s been so enthusiastic about this fluffy series -- you are all awesome!
> 
> Sorry, everyone -- it turned into another long one.... :)
> 
>  
> 
> Wanted to get this out, so it’s a little rough around the edges and has not been beta-ed. I got really tired proofreading the last half, so... sorry about that! I apologize for all mistakes.
> 
>  
> 
> Disclaimer: Lucifer Morningstar, Chloe Decker, and Trixie Decker are owned by Vertigo Comics, DC Comics, Neil Gaiman, Mike Carey, and everyone else involved with the Lucifer TV show and comic books. I own nothing and make no money on this. I merely am borrowing the characters for... uh... writing practice. Findus and Weaponizer are my creations (although their names are not). :-)

 

 

Lucifer Morningstar pulled up to the sprawling one-story home in Malibu and smiled.

It was hard to imagine that he had bought a house for a penguin and a cat, of all things.  He was the Devil, after all, and he should not be doing favors for creatures that couldn’t reciprocate!  And yet here he was, spending millions of dollars on a home in which he wouldn’t even be living!  He was getting soft, and he didn’t know why.

Well, actually, he did know why... he just didn’t want to admit to himself that it was because of a certain someone.  Following the incident with Detective Sorkin trying to steal his penguin, Weaponizer, he realized that Chloe was his everything.  Lucifer didn’t quite know what that meant -- and was afraid to find out, frankly.  He had a sneaking suspicion he was developing deep feelings for the detective, which was worrisome -- caring had never boded well for him.  After all, look at how he had fared with his parents and siblings -- and they were _family!_

Shaking off his worries over what would happen if he started caring for the detective, he parked behind Chloe’s car on the circular driveway.  His heart thumped faster at the thought of his partner as he tried to imagine what she was doing inside.  Maybe laying out by the very large pool he had installed for Weaponizer -- wearing a bikini?  Or perhaps... nothing?

His insides hummed with excitement as his breathing quickened.  The image of Chloe, naked and laying out on a towel by the pool, flipped his stomach this way and that.  Unable to contain his high spirits, he hopped out of the Corvette and fetched his knitting basket and overnight bag from the passenger seat.  Lengthening his stride, he quickly headed inside.

When he walked through the entrance and shut the door behind him, he was immediately accosted by the two animals living there: Weaponizer the penguin, and his girlfriend Findus -- a little brown and white striped kitten.  The bird charged him, flippers outstretched, while Findus dashed behind, tripping over her paws as she ran.  Lucifer immediately dropped his things and plastered himself up against the door as he tried to get away from the animals.

“Stay back!” the fallen angel warned as the penguin latched onto his leg, giving him a big hug, while the kitten scaled him like a tall tree until she was sitting on his shoulder.  Perching close to his neck, she grabbed his ear with her paws and started chewing.

“Ow!  Ow!” he cried, trying to pry Findus off.  His efforts merely caused her to dig her claws into him.  “Bloody -- Detective!   _Detective!”_

Chloe ran up -- wearing jeans and a flannel shirt, he was disappointed to see -- and immediately laughed at the sight he made, with a penguin on his leg and a kitten gnawing on his ear.  As he stood there, frozen, she whipped her camera out of her pocket and snapped a picture.

“Goodness’ sake, Detective!”

“Sorry, Lucifer.”  She snickered as she put her phone away, then walked up and pried Findus off of his shoulder.  “It was too good of an opportunity to miss.”

As soon as she put Findus down, the kitten scampered off to the great room.  Weaponizer, seeing his girlfriend leave, honked and immediately waddled after her in hot pursuit.

“That ninny,” Lucifer muttered as he dusted himself off and picked up his basket and bag.

Sauntering up to him, her eyes twinkling, Chloe took his arm and smiled widely at him.   “The house is beautiful.”

The fallen angel straightened as his insides burst with warmth.  “I’m glad you approve.”

“I’m glad you bought a one-story.  I was worried about the animals taking a fall,” she said as she walked with him to the huge great room.  “I like the modernist architecture and the open floor plan.  And the view is spectacular!”

Chloe’s praise made Lucifer feel like he had gifted her with a newly formed star, and he thrust out his chest a little more.  “Yes, well, I thought Weaponizer would enjoy seeing the ocean.”

Her eyes grew soft. “That’s very thoughtful of you.”

Lucifer felt his face burn, but he didn’t know why.  He only knew that his partner thought he was thoughtful -- although he wasn’t quite sure what that meant.  He thought a lot?  He was full of thought?  Whatever it meant, it made him feel... bubbly.  Effervescent.  Like uncorked champagne.  It felt... good.

They walked into the great room, where a giant pool had been installed in its center, with flat rocks around its deep, far end on which Weaponizer could sit.  The entire wall facing the long edge of the pool was made up of floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors, which opened to a large back patio with access to a private beach.  Skylights let in natural light overhead, giving the whole room a bright, cheery look.  Directly opposite the pool and the gorgeous view of the Pacific Ocean were a huge kitchen with the latest appliances, and a long counter with bar stools for meals.  The great room had the appearance of a patio, despite being inside.  Near the shallow end of the pool were a few chairs and a couch with a small coffee table.

Lucifer set his things down beside the couch and glanced over at the far end of the pool, where Trixie sat on one of the flat rocks with her feet in the water.  The little girl caught sight of him and waved as she stood up.

“Lucifer!” she cried, dashing over to give him a big hug.  He let out a cry of distress as she clung to him tightly.  “You’re the best, Lucifer!  The best!”

He blinked in surprise even as warmth filtered through his body and heat crept up his neck into his cheeks.  “I... I am?”

Trixie smiled up at him.  “Uh huh!  This is the coolest place!  I wish we could live here!”

“Trixie, no,” Chloe admonished with a little shake of her head.  “We are not living here.”

“You can, if you desire,” Lucifer found himself saying, and meant it.  The thought of the detective living in luxury filled him with a strange sense of contentment.  He could see her lying naked at the poolside, by the floor-to-ceiling windows, looking like a model out of Playboy magazine --

She chuckled.  “Thank you, but no.  The commute at rush hour on PCH would kill me.  I don’t want to battle that traffic every day.”

The fallen angel’s shoulders slumped as his dream of naked Chloe evaporated into nothingness.  Trying hard not to look crestfallen, he swallowed hard and gave her a crooked smile.  “Well, perhaps when you are no longer working.”

Chloe shook her head.  “No, it’s best not to impose on your generosity.”

Lucifer’s mouth fell open.  “You’re not imposing --”

“But Mommy, I want to live here!” Trixie whined, letting Lucifer go to wrap her arms around her mother’s waist.  “I want to be with Weaponizer and Findus!”

“No, monkey.  It’s too far from your school and my work.  We visit them on the weekends and evenings -- that should be enough.”

Pouting right alongside Trixie, Lucifer frowned darkly at his partner, who ignored him.  “If it’s what the child desires --”

Chloe shook her head.  “No. Sorry.”

Just then, Weaponizer honked from the far end of the pool, drawing the little girl’s attention.  The bird jumped up and down, then waddled to the edge and dived into the water.  Trixie dashed over to pet Findus, who peered into the water with concern.  Without warning, Weaponizer shot out of the water like a cannonball to land on the rock next to them, then popped to his feet with a squawk.  Lucifer watched the antics and shook his head at the silly penguin, who looked exceedingly proud of himself.

“What a prat,” he muttered with disgust.

Chloe chuckled.  “I think he’s adorable.”

Lucifer snorted as he turned away from the scene.  “He’s showing off.”

She slanted a glance at him.  “Like someone else I know.”

“Oh?”  Blinking, he stared down at her.  “Who?”

Walking backward for a few paces with her hands behind her back, she smiled secretively at him.  “Oh... someone.”

“Who?”  A horrible thought crossed his mind.  “Not... not the douche?”

With a smirk, she turned around and headed for the kitchen.  “No, not Dan.”

Puzzlement shot through him as he chased after her.  “Then who, Detective?   _Who?”_

She only laughed.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

Later, Lucifer sat by himself knitting while Chloe tucked Trixie in bed for the night.  His hands worked quickly as the red yarn took shape into something special for his partner.  Holding it up, he gauged its worthiness with a pursed mouth and critical eyes.  Would Chloe like it?  Was it too... too... mushy?

Worrying his lower lip between his teeth, he showed it to the animals sitting beside him.  “Well? What do you think?”

Weaponizer looked at him, then at the object, cocking his head and blinking solemnly.  Squawking once, he gave Lucifer a mischievous glance before bouncing over to the edge of the couch and jumping into the knitting basket like a swimmer doing a belly flop.  Surprised at the bird’s sudden move, Findus got to her feet and dived in after the penguin.

“Come on, I was asking for your opinion!” Lucifer complained, but both the penguin and kitten ignored him, playing with the wool like little children.  He rolled his eyes.  “You two live to torture me, don’t you?”

Although he glared at the animals, they took no notice of him, jumping up and down in his knitting basket and wreaking havoc with all of his yarn.  With a heavy sigh, Lucifer picked up the basket with both animals in it and hid his knitted project deep at the bottom, where he hoped the two scamps wouldn’t reach it.

“You two should show more appreciation, since I bought you both a house,” he growled, but Weaponizer merely honked and grinned at him.  Findus popped her head out of the yarn and gave a soft meow as the penguin leaped out of the basket and made his way to the pool.  Swimming to the deep end, the bird vaulted out of the water and waddled quickly down the hall leading to the bedrooms.  Not to be left behind, the little kitten chased after him.

Shaking his head at the animals’ odd behavior, Lucifer gazed after them.  The two scamps were probably going to watch the detective put her daughter to bed.  Perhaps they wanted to hear the bedtime story Chloe read to the child...?  Come to think of it, he would too.  Well, not the child part, but....  Warmth filled the fallen angel at the thought of watching his partner tucked in bed, reading a bedtime story aloud.  Smiling to himself, he wondered if she might read _him_ a bedtime story?  A _naughty_ bedtime story?  The idea definitely had possibilities, although mooning over her like a lovesick calf would be just as good....

He blinked in surprise.  Where had _that_ thought come from?  Shaking the strange notion away, he rose off the couch and stretched his long frame.  Telling himself that he just wanted to make sure Chloe and Trixie were safe, Lucifer strode after the two animals.

As he passed the guest bathroom, he heard water splashing.  His brows drew together.  Why would there be the sound of water?  Since the penguin had the pool, there was no reason for the bathtub to be full....  Changing directions, he walked into the bathroom -- and gaped in horror.

Weaponizer was in the toilet, happily splashing water everywhere, while Findus sat on the sink counter, watching her companion with an amused expression on her face.

“Oh, bloody hell, no,” Lucifer cried as he stared wide-eyed at the happy penguin.  “What are you doing in there?!”

The bird honked with joy as he splashed water on the fallen angel.  Lucifer recoiled, cursing the penguin to Hell and back.  Shucking off his jacket, he tossed it in the hall where it would be safe, then rolled up his sleeves and tried to approach the bird without getting splashed.

“You ninny!  Why are you in the loo when you have a custom-made pool in the great room?!”

Weaponizer merely looked at him with his beak open, his face lit up with glee, then splashed more water at him.

Recoiling quickly, Lucifer’s eyes narrowed.  No one splashed toilet water on the Devil -- _no one!_  “Right.  You’re coming out of there.”

As he reached for the bird, Weaponizer squawked and flapped his flippers, batting at Lucifer and spraying water everywhere.  Cursing, Lucifer hauled the penguin out and slammed the lid shut on the commode.  Carrying him to the bathtub, the Devil held him down as he turned on the water.  Weaponizer started screeching like he was being gutted by one of Maze’s knives.

“It’s just water, you prat!”

Weaponizer froze and looked at him for a full second, before resuming his screeching and struggles.

“You’re getting a bloody bath!” the fallen angel said as he scrubbed the little bird.  Meanwhile, Findus jumped off the counter onto the closed toilet, then over to Lucifer.  Vaulting onto the Devil’s shoulder, she watched with interest as Weaponizer sat in the water, honking dejectedly as he got washed.

Lucifer pulled a fluffy towel off the rack and dried off the penguin.  “That’s right, I’m the boss around here.  You best remember that, the next time you decide to raise Hell with me and play in the loo.”

With a squawk and a defiant head toss, Weaponizer marched to the corner of the bathroom and sulked. Findus hopped off of the fallen angel’s shoulder and curled herself around the penguin.  Placated, he honked happily and snuggled the kitten.  As Lucifer rolled his eyes at the animals, he realized he was not alone -- Chloe was watching from the doorway and smiling.

Panic filled him.  How much had she seen?  Had she seen him struggling to get the bloody bird out of the loo?  Heat crept up his neck and tinted his cheeks pink.  “Ah.  Right.  I was just... just....”

She lifted an eyebrow at him as her smile grew larger.

“Just... ah... right.  Just....”

“Just getting our penguin out of the toilet.”

More heat filled his cheeks, until even his bloody ears felt red.  “Ah.  Yes.  Penguin.  Toilet.  Very unpleasant business, that.”

Her kind, sympathetic laughter echoed in the small bathroom.  For a moment Lucifer didn’t know how to react, until he saw the humor in the situation and chuckled, as well.

“I need to take a shower,” he said with chagrin.  “Bloody bird sprayed me with water from the loo.”

That only made Chloe laugh harder.  “Yes, go take a shower -- please!”

Hope filled his voice.  “Perhaps we could take one together...?”

 _“I_ wasn’t the one who got sprayed with toilet water.”

Lucifer gave her a mischievous grin.  “We could remedy that --”

“Ew, no.”  She chuckled.  “I have to finish reading Trixie a story.  Go take your shower, Mister Morningstar.”

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

Chloe closed Trixie’s door, relieved that her daughter was finally asleep.  Too much excitement with Weaponizer and Findus had the little girl practically hovering with excitement.  The detective was glad that Trixie hadn’t gotten out of bed when she had heard Lucifer’s exclamation from the bathroom earlier.  That would have just keyed up the girl even more.

Walking into the great room, she saw Lucifer knitting on the couch.  Pausing a fair distance away, she studied him as he worked diligently.  It was hard for her to believe that this was same the cocky and annoying man she had met a year ago.   _This_ Lucifer was kind, gentle, sensitive, good with Trixie, and he made her laugh -- he was definitely someone she could easily fall in love with... if she dared to let herself.

But she wasn’t going to do that.

Nuh-uh, no way.

She had to remember that Lucifer only saw her as a partner and a friend.  Rich and glamorous, he had a different bed partner -- well, partners -- every night.  There was nothing about her that could possibly interest him, except the novelty of his mojo not working on her.  She was a tired cop with a daughter, while he was a sexed up playboy nightclub owner with money coming out of his ears.  It would never work.

Still... she could dream, couldn’t she?

“Detective!”  His voice snapped her out of her reverie.  Striding over to him, she took a look at his knitting project.  Since it was still in its infancy stage, it was hard to discern what he was making.

“What are you knitting?”

He smiled at her boyishly, making her heart flip-flop in her chest.   _Stop that,_ she told herself sternly.

“Right.  I’m making some slippers for my favorite Etsy customer -- she’s in Germany.”  Holding up the pretty dark red and gray yarn, he cocked his head at her.  “What do you think?”

Chloe admired his choice in wool.  “What beautiful colors!  You have a wonderful sense of design.”

Smiling smugly, he lifted his chin and thrust out his chest.  “Why, thank you, Detective.  I’m quite excited about the project.  Only....”  Breaking off, he glanced down at the skeins and twisted them in his hands.

Surprised at his sudden agitation, she asked, “What?”

His eyes filled with apprehension as he looked up at her.  “She wants them felted.  I don’t know what that means.”

He looked so forlorn that she hurried to reassure him.  “It’s not hard, Lucifer.  Is that one hundred percent wool?”

An outraged expression crossed his face as he sniffed disdainfully.  “Please, Detective!  I never use synthetics.”

His attitude made her chuckle.  “You snob, you.  Okay.  So basically, once you knit your piece, you wash it in hot water with lots of agitation.  You can add soap -- but just a little!  When it comes out of the washing machine, it will be felted.”

Lucifer’s face brightened.  “Why, that’s so simple!”

A feeling of impending doom suddenly overcame Chloe.  “Well yes, but you have to check --”

“Thank you, Detective!  I must start this right away!”  Pulling his yarn close to him, he started to knit furiously.

She tried again.  “But Lucifer --”

A loud, muffled honk from Weaponizer suddenly caught her attention.  Looking up, she was appalled to see that the penguin and kitten had somehow gotten a hold of her camel coat and were both dragging it into the pool.  “Weaponizer, Findus -- no!”  Casting a glance back at Lucifer, she said, “Lucifer -- it’s not... I’ll be back --”

He waved a dismissive hand at her, clearly no longer listening.  “Yes, yes, Detective.  I’ll be here knitting, if you need help....”

She didn’t get back to him for quite a while, for the two animals kept her busy.  After rescuing her poor coat, she started to lecture the two troublemakers, but they dashed into the kitchen and hid themselves in a cupboard, knocking over pots and pans and wreaking havoc.  It took her a very long time to coax them out.

When she finally returned to Lucifer’s side, he had finished knitting his slippers and was on his way to the laundry room to wash them.  Visions of sudsy water up to her knees bombarded her brain as she scrambled to catch up with his long stride.

“Remember, you just need a little bit of soap --”

When Lucifer stopped suddenly at the laundry room, Chloe ran full-tilt into his back.  With a red face, she scrambled to recover as he turned on his heel.  Her heart pounded furiously at his proximity and mischievous eyes.  “Worried I can’t do laundry on my own, Detective?”

She didn’t mince words.  “Yes.  Have you ever tried to do laundry?”

He blinked.  “Why no, but how hard could it be?”

And with that, he closed the door in her face.  Lifting her hand to pound on the door, she stood there for a moment before she let it drop to her side.  Surely he could figure out how to use a laundry machine?  It wasn’t hard.  If he just read the directions, everything would be okay... right?  Lucifer was a big boy -- he could follow instructions, right?  Struggling to allay her fears, Chloe walked back to the living room, hoping that the new house wasn’t going to flood or explode.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

Lucifer stared at the washing machine with alarm.  The front panel was covered with weird buttons and words that held no meaning for him.  After brushing off Chloe’s offer of help in such a cavalier fashion, he couldn’t bring himself to call her back.

Well, one thing was for sure.  She said the slippers should be washed in hot water.  He pushed the hot selection.   Nothing happened.  Cocking his head, he tried again -- same result.  Scanning the panel, he spotted the power button.  Of course!  Chuckling to himself, he punched the power button and was relieved to see lights flash.  He selected “hot” for the water temperature.  Spin speed?  He had no idea what that meant, but... well, more would be better, correct?  He pushed “max.”  Next was soil -- whatever did that mean?  He wasn’t planting anything in a garden -- he was in a laundry room!  He hit “light,” since there wasn’t a zero option.  Hmmm, there was a warm rinse button.  Surely if a little heat was good, even more would be better?  He pushed that button, turning the option on.  Then there was a knob which talked about clothes.  Well, his slippers were bulky, so he selected, “Bulky items.”  He didn’t know what the stain removal guide was for, so he left that alone.  Feeling inordinately pleased with himself, he threw his slippers inside, then tried to decide about detergent.  He was tempted to throw the entire bottle in -- surely more was better?  But Chloe had said to add just a little soap, so he put in a dollop and selected “start.”

Waiting for the washing to end was like waiting for Dad to finish one of his bloody lectures.  Lucifer paced in the little room, eyeing the washing machine as it went through its odd paces.  When at last it beeped, signalling that it was done, he pulled out the slippers.  They looked... odd.  Tilting his head, he squinted at them.  They appeared furry and... smaller.   _Much_ smaller.  But surely that was the felting?  He was positive that they would regain their large appearance once they had been dried.

Tossing the slippers inside the dryer, he turned on the power and studied the setting.  Heat would be the best thing for them, right?  He set the temperature to “anti-bacterial,” and the level to “more dry.”  Glancing at the knob, he studied the settings.  “Air fluff” sounded good, since he wanted fluffy slippers, but it also said “no heat,” and... well, the detective had said that heat was good, so “air fluff” was out.  Shrugging, he selected “active wear.”  Slippers were active wear, weren’t they?  He doubted his customer would be wearing them when asleep....  He happily hit “start,” and waited for his slippers to be finished.

When the dryer finished its cycle and Lucifer pulled out his slippers, he screamed in absolute horror.  The slippers were tiny -- only fit for Weaponizer or Findus!  Clutching them in his hand, he tore out of the laundry room, frantically looking for Chloe.

He searched the entire house, leaving the master bedroom for last.  FInally throwing open that door, he heard Chloe let out a squeak even as he cried, “Detective --”

A pillow slammed into his face.

Quickly recovering, he blinked at his partner and realized why she had thrown a pillow at him.  Clutching her shirt to her chest, she was in the middle of disrobing for bed.  Lucifer stood there with his mouth open, head tilted to one side, as he admired her.  She was so beautiful, like a goddess -- ethereal.  Heaven-sent.  The lighting touched her bare skin, giving her a golden glow, and he suddenly wished she would drop the shirt.  He longed to hear her say his name in a voice husky with desire.  He’d take her in his arms, and his hands would rove all over her body, relieving her of all her clothes and revealing her exquisite loveliness to his hungry gaze --

Another pillow hit him in the face, snapping him out of his daydream.

With her face growing redder by the second, Chloe glared at him.  “Do you mind?!”

Recovering his aplomb quickly, Lucifer grinned.  “Not at all.  Please don’t let me stop you.”

She pointed to the door.  “Out, you perv.”

Perv?  “Wait, I’m not --”

Her hand wrapped around the base of the lamp.  “Do you want me to throw this at you?”

“No no no no no!” he cried, holding out his hands in supplication.  “Detective, please.  This is a misunderstanding!”

“How is it a misunderstanding?  You’re in my room while I’m trying to change!”

A smirk touched his lips.  “Well, my dear, I could help you with that, you know.  I’m very handy in the bedroom --”

Her voice was filled with warning.  “Lucifer --”

Oh, how beautiful she looked in all her fury!  Arousal shot through him, hot and bright like a comet, burning him from the inside out.  The urge to kiss her senseless overwhelmed him, and he took a step forward before he realized what he was doing.

Goodness, he had to get a hold of himself!

“Right.  I.... I need your help.”  His fingers tightened on the little slippers in his hand as anxiety flooded him.  “Something has gone terribly wrong with my knitting!”

For a long minute she stared at him as if weighing his sincerity, then nodded.  “Turn around.”

“But --”

_“Turn.  Around.”_

Grumbling, he turned his back, wishing there was a mirror nearby so he could watch whatever she was doing.

“Okay, you can look now.”

When he faced her again, he was disappointed to see that she had put her shirt back on.  His shoulders slumped.  Oh well, there went his chance to see her naked....  Taking a deep breath, he struggled to get his rampant desire under control.

Approaching him with suspicion still in her eyes, she crossed her arms in front of her chest.  “Okay, what’s going on with your knitting?”

Her nearness emptied his head of all thought, leaving him standing like a ninny as he gazed at her.  When she began tapping her foot, he snapped out of his daze.  “Ah.  Right.  Yes... knitting.  Yes.”

Holding out his hand, he opened it to reveal the tiny little slippers.  She broke into a smile and squealed in delight.  “Oh, they’re so cute!  You made felted slippers for Weaponizer!”

Lucifer was aghast at the very suggestion.  “No!  They’re for my customer, and she is _not_ a penguin!”  He tugged the back of his neck.  “Bloody hell, I can’t figure out why they became so small.  I used hot water as you suggested, and put them in the dryer --”

Alarm washed over her expression.  “Oh no, Lucifer, no....”

Puzzled, he could only look at her with a raised eyebrow.  “What?”

Shaking her head, Chloe let out a sigh.  “They shrank from too much heat.”

His brows furrowed.  “But you said --”

Her eyes filled with regret.  “I’m sorry, I should have warned you not to put them in a hot dryer.  Wool shrinks.  You have to make the slippers much bigger than normal, so that they’ll be the right size when you felt them.”

His mouth made the shape of an “O” before consternation crossed his face.  “But how do you know how much bigger?  This is all very complicated.”  The fallen angel shook his head, sadness weighing his shoulders down.  “Right.  I don’t think I can do this.”

Chloe took a hold of his arm and shook it gently while giving him an encouraging smile.  “Of course you can!  Look, I’ll help you in the morning, okay?  We’ll make them together, and I’ll show you the proper way to felt.”

Biting his lower lip, Lucifer nodded.  He was convinced that it would just be a disaster -- like everything else he touched -- but he welcomed any private time he could get with the detective.  And if she was helping him... surely it couldn’t go wrong, could it?  “Very well.”

“Good.  Now go to bed --”

Perking up, the fallen angel gave her a sensuous smile.   _“Your_ bed?”

He was pleased to see the delightful blush color Chloe’s cheeks once again as she chuckled.  “No, yours.”

His heart slammed to a halt before thumping in triple-time.  “You -- you’re joining me in _my_ bed?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she laughed.  “You’re going to your own bed, alone.”

“But... you forget, Detective -- we didn’t buy furniture for the last bedroom yet.  I have nowhere to go.”  The fallen angel gave her his most helpless look.  “I’ll have to sleep on the couch -- a fate worse than death!  Surely you can find it in your heart to share your bed with me --”

Shaking her head firmly, she pushed him out the door.  “Nice try.  You knew there would be a problem with the lack of beds and purposely didn’t buy one when we went furniture shopping.  ‘I can sleep on the couch,’ I believe you said.”

“But that was before --”

She lifted an eyebrow.  “Before what?”

“Before I... before I....”

Before he what?  Fell in love?  He scoffed.  The very notion was absurd.  Imagine him -- the Devil -- falling in love!  Ridiculous!  There was no way he was falling in love, for that emotion only led to pain and betrayal.  And yet....  All his words took flight as he turned the thought of love over and over in his head, leaving him speechless, until he finally just shook his head.

Giving him an odd glance, Chloe said, “Okaaaaay....  Well, I have to go to bed.  I’ll see you in the morning.”  And with that, she shut the door in his face.

Standing before the closed door, a heavy sigh shuddered through Lucifer as he wondered if he had lost his mind.   _Love?!_  Obviously he had gone quite mad.  Taking a deep breath, he headed for the couch in the great room.

 

 

________________________________________

  


“Lucifer.”

Chloe’s soft voice caught the fallen angel’s attention, and he opened his eyes with surprise.  Peering in the darkness, he saw his partner standing in the hall to the bedrooms.  The soft moonlight shining through the skylights gave her a luminous glow, highlighting the sheen on her satin nightgown with its plunging neckline.  With a slight smile, she motioned to him with a beckoning finger.  Pulling back the blankets, Lucifer jolted upright on the couch, disbelief warring with joy as his heart thumped so hard he thought it would leap out of his chest.

“D-Detective?” he whispered in the quiet stillness of the room.

She said nothing, merely turned on her heel and started walking back toward the master bedroom.

For a moment Lucifer sat frozen on the couch, unable to move or think.  His wildest dream was coming true -- Chloe wanted him in her bed!  Heat shot through him as excitement speared through his body, ramping up his already pounding heart and shortening his breath.  He couldn’t believe it!

Scrambling off the couch, he nearly tripped as the blankets tangled around his legs, slowing him down and bringing a curse to his lips.  Bloody throws!  Finally ripping the blankets and throwing them onto the couch, he struggled to look suave and debonair as he tried -- and failed -- not to run after Chloe.  As he hurried after her, two thoughts frantically buffeted his brain: “I’m going to sleep with Chloe!” and, “Goodness, why didn’t I manscape last night?!”

He caught up with her at the door to the master bedroom.  She pulled him inside by his suit jacket lapels, and softly closed the door behind them.  Her eyes glinted hungrily as she ran her hands up and down his chest.  He chuckled, then groaned at the feel of her fingers burning him where she touched.  Buttons flew as she tore his shirt open and ripped it and his jacket from his body.

“D-Detective, wait. Wait --”

He couldn’t believe he was trying to stop her, but he had to make sure that sleeping with him was her decision.  But before he could get another word out, her eager lips pressed against his, and all sane thought left his head.  Wrapping his arms around her, he reveled in the feel of her body pressed against him.  Oh, she felt so good!  His hands caressed her through her nightgown, the satiny feel of the material inflaming his passions even more.  He couldn’t wait to tear it from her body!

Lucifer didn’t realize that they were moving as they kissed, until the back of his knees hit the edge of the bed.  Lifting his head, he gasped for air -- Chloe was the only one who could leave him breathless -- and struggled to control his ardor.  He had to go slow -- make it last.  Make it... beautiful for her.  As he started to ease the spaghetti straps of the nightgown from her shoulders, she set a hand in the middle of his chest and pushed him flat on his back onto the bed.

Stunned, he couldn’t move as she lay down beside him, patting him with unexpected force on his well-sculpted stomach.  His breath came out in a whoosh at her actions, before she took his hand and bit it -- hard.  He winced as he chuckled.  He had no idea that his detective was such a hellion -- and he liked it!  As she smiled down at him, she clawed his stomach.  Her nails felt like sharp little needles.

“Ow!”  He blinked up at her and grinned.  “You minx!”

She said nothing -- merely smiled and dug her fingernails into his flesh, this time drawing a gasp from him.  That _hurt!_

A frisson of unease shot through him.  “Detective --”

She clawed him again, pulling a painful cry from him --

 

 

________________________________________

  


Lucifer awoke with a start to find a giant brown cat trying to make a nest out of him, digging its claws hard into his stomach through his shirt.  The monstrous feline turned to look at him with emotionless golden eyes, immediately engaging in a staring contest with him.

“What the me?!”  He frowned at the cat, infinitely annoyed that the behemoth had interrupted his wonderful dream of Chloe.  The cat studied the fallen angel as if he was a particularly tasty rodent, before thrusting his claws into his stomach once again.  With a curse, Lucifer lifted the offending beast off of him and set him down on the floor.  Where had that creature come from?

Glancing around, he saw that it was already well into morning, with Trixie and Chloe eating cereal at the kitchen counter.  Pulling himself to his feet, he ran a hand over his hair to smooth his unruly curls and straightened his clothes.  Trixie spotted him first, dashing over to him while yelling his name.  With a yelp, he tried to back up, but she grabbed him hard around the waist and gave him a big hug.

“Trixie, finish your breakfast,” Chloe said as she approached the fallen angel.  The little girl scurried away as the detective smiled at him.  “You were sleeping so soundly that we decided not to wake you.”

Still a little muddled from sleep, Lucifer nodded and gestured at the brown cat sitting on an armchair.  “Right.  Where did that monster come from?”

“Trixie found him outside on the patio this morning.  She thinks that he must belong to the neighbors.  His collar says ‘Caruso.’  I didn’t think it was a good idea to bring him inside, but Trixie is convinced he’ll make a great companion to Weaponizer and Findus.”

“Hmph.”  The fallen angel studied the large cat with a frown.  “And why did he choose me to sleep on?”

Chloe’s eyes twinkled with amusement.  “It must be all that animal magnetism you have.”

Animal magnetism?  If that was the case, the detective would be all over him!  But she wasn’t....  He sighed.  “Right.  Well, let me clean myself up and I’ll make you and the little one some food.”

“We ate breakfast already.”

As she started back toward the long counter, he followed close behind, complaining all the way.  “You mean those disgusting flakes of cardboard that come out of a box? Please, Detective!  That is not breakfast!  That’s a travesty of the very notion of breaking one’s fast!”

Her laugh rang through the room, filling Lucifer with happiness, although he really couldn’t understand why.  He was just telling the truth....

“Well, you do what you like.  After you eat we’ll work on your slippers.”

The Devil perked up at that.  Well, after a somewhat rocky start, the day was starting to look up!

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

Basking on the rocks, the penguin’s attention was caught by the giants talking at the far end of the water.  Lifting his head, the bird watched the giants gesture at one of the oddly shaped rocks.  Squinting, he could see... something on it.  Something brown.  He cocked his head, not sure what to make of it, then stood up.

His kitten stirred beside him, so he gently nibbled on her ear to wake her up.  Purring softly, she awoke and looked at him with those big blue-green eyes of hers.  They reminded him so much of the sea -- he could hear the crashing of waves when he looked into them.  With a little chirp, he nuzzled her, then pointed at the brown creature across the water.  She followed his gaze, giving a soft meow of surprise as the brown thing spotted them and sauntered over.

The penguin studied the newcomer warily.  As it got closer, he could see it was a cat -- a male cat.  A _big_ male cat.  The bird stretched his neck, suddenly feeling anxious.  Usually quite friendly, he felt no inclination to be nice to the newcomer.  He wasn’t sure why, but he trusted his gut.  Waddling up to draw attention away from the kitten, he faced the beast.

The cat was big and ugly, a mottled brown color that made him resemble a furry slug.  The penguin stayed still as the creature sniffed him and dismissed him as inconsequential.  The cat caught sight of the little kitten, and pushed past the penguin to investigate.  Feeling ire build up within him, the bird quickly waddled in front of his lady love, protecting her from the newcomer.

Amused, the brown monster sized him up and down.  With a flick of his tail, he walked off to perch on one of the rocks farther away, then studied them with cold, golden eyes.  Unease flickered through the penguin.  As the little kitten peeked around him to look at the newcomer, he turned and nuzzled her, trying to give comfort, even though his insides twisted with foreboding.

The big cat merely watched, a smirk on his face.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

Lucifer couldn’t believe how well the day was going!

After breakfast, the detective sat next to him -- _right next to him!_ \-- and helped him knit slippers for his German customer.  Unfortunately, euphoria at her proximity kept him from paying full attention, and he struggled to concentrate.  Admiring her deft hands knitting the dark red and gray yarns into a beautiful slipper, he was impressed at her speed and how perfect every one of her stitches were.  Matching her stitch for stitch, he was able to make the mate to the slipper she made.

“But it’s so huge!” he complained when they had finished.  Holding it up in front of him, he shook his head.  “Bloody hell, Detective, it’s even larger than a Nephilim could have worn!”

She gave him a blank stare.  “A what?”

“A Neph --”  Breaking off, he gave her a surprised glance.  “Surely you know what a Nephilim is?”  When she continued to look confused, he sighed heavily.  “It’s a giant.  When angels and humans had sex, they begat Nephilim.”  As he spoke, his brow furrowed.  “Come to think of it, will we beget a Nephilim if we have sex?”

Chloe’s mouth dropped open.   _“What?!”_

“I mean, you wouldn’t have to worry, because I take protection very seriously -- just in case Dad gets any ideas, you understand -- but still... _would_ we have a Nephilim?”  The thought boggled his mind.  Well, actually the idea of having sex with Chloe filled him with so much excitement that he really didn’t give a bloody damn if they _did_ have a Nephilim, but a small part of his mind was very curious as to what the outcome would be.  Glancing at the detective, he was surprised to see her mouth still agape.  “What?”

“I -- you -- wait, did you just --”

Tilting his head at her, he furrowed his brows as he tried to figure out what she was saying.  “Are you all right, Detective?  You’re rarely tongue-tied....”  His face took on a seductive grin.  “But... I can untie your tongue with mine, if you like.  Why don’t we give it a try?”

He actually started leaning toward her, his heart hammering out a fast drum roll, before her hand on his chest brought him back to his senses.  Bloody hell, what was he _doing?!_  He knew the detective wasn’t interested in having sex with him!  She had made that abundantly clear in the year they had worked together, and had never given him any indication to the contrary, other than the occasional teasing.  Still, he could always dream....

“Okay, first off, we are _not_ having sex,” Chloe said firmly, although her face flushed bright red.  “Second of all, if we _did_ have sex, I’m sure we’d have a normal baby.  A normal _human_ baby.”

Lucifer blinked.  “But I’m the --”

An annoyed expression crossed her face.  “You are _not_ the Devil.”

Biting his lower lip, Lucifer tried to convince her of the truth.  Again.  “But Detective --”

A sigh escaped her.  “You’re a good man, Lucifer.  Period.  And you’ll never convince me otherwise.”  Standing abruptly, she headed for the kitchen.  “Let’s have lunch -- I’m sure Trixie and the animals are hungry.  We can felt the slippers after we eat.”

He wasn’t even listening, for her words left him speechless.   _A good man?_  Warmth exploded in his chest, melting his insides into a puddle of goo as heat raced up into his cheeks.   _A good man!_  Touched beyond measure, his expression softened as he stared after his partner with a gentle smile on his face.   _A good man...._

After lunch, she taught him how to felt the slippers by first showing him the correct washing machine settings.  That in itself was a little mind-numbing, but having to check the progress of the felting every five minutes by pulling the slippers out of the hot water with a pair of tongs was downright frustrating.

“It’s taking too long,” he whined.

Laughing, she put the slipper back into the washing machine.  “Patience, Lucifer!  You don’t want to overdo it.”

After checking the slippers twice more, Chloe finally pulled the slippers out and asked him if they were the correct size.  The fallen angel was amazed at how the slippers had shrunk the perfect amount, and looked so soft and fluffy, as well!  The final rinse was done in cold water, then the slippers were spun just long enough to get the excess water out.  After taking them out of the washing machine, Chloe showed him how to block the piece.  In the end he had a beautiful pair of dark red and gray felted slippers.

“They... they’re beautiful, Detective!” he cried as he admired them on the towel as they dried.  He wanted to kiss her, he was so happy!  “I couldn’t have done it without you!”

Her face turned a charming pink and she smiled.  “I’m glad I could help.”

“Detective....”  His delighted face grew earnest.  “Thank you.  You are an amazing woman, filled with many hidden talents.”

Even more color tinted her cheeks until they were a pretty rose color.  “I... uh... I have to... uh... shop.  Grocery shopping.  Go.  Have to... yeah.  Bye.”  Before he knew what was happening, she rushed out of the laundry room, leaving one very confused fallen angel behind.

 

 

________________________________________

  


The big cat had silently watched the penguin and the kitten all morning and afternoon, and the bird didn’t like it.  Not one bit.  There was something about the newcomer that made him decidedly nervous.  No matter where they went, the big cat followed like a shadow, always hanging back and watching.  Unable to shake their watcher, the penguin convinced his girlfriend to return to the rocks around the water.  He tried to cuddle with his lady love but couldn’t relax, casting anxious glances back at the beast.

Finally, the big cat made his move.  Rising to his feet, he stretched, then padded over to the two of them.  Knocking the penguin down with his burly shoulder, he approached the little kitten, who looked left and right nervously.  He grinned at her.

Anger welled up inside the bird as he pulled himself to his feet and saw the ugly interloper sniff his fluffy companion.  That was _his_ girlfriend!  Rushing the big cat, he honked a warning, but the brown interloper merely swatted its paw at him, shoving him off his feet.  Furious, the penguin stood up, his feathers puffing out with fury, and charged.  Hissing, the ugly beast batted him again, throwing the penguin across the rocks and leaving him completely breathless.

As he lay there, almost unconscious and feeling pain where the cat had struck him, he opened his eyes to see his lady love looking down at him with worry.  Panting, the penguin lay there, feeling shame that he had lost a battle in front of his girlfriend.  Chagrined, he watched as she turned to face the intruder and hissed, her hackles rising.

The big cat sauntered up, a grin on his face, and put one warning paw on the penguin’s back, pinning him down.  The little kitten glanced from the bird to the cat then back again, her eyes filled with fear.  Bowing her head, she lowered her hackles and stood there in front of the ugly beast.

Letting out a loud purr of pleasure, the interloper then reached over and licked the kitten’s cheek.  Rage filled the bird’s chest and he scrambled to his feet, squawking with displeasure.  As the big cat turned to look at him, the penguin’s girlfriend came in between the two of them.  She meowed softly, looking at the bird imploringly with those big blue-green eyes of hers.

She was... protecting the newcomer?  But....

Backing up a step, he watched with dismay as the big cat strutted around the little kitten, circling possessively.  Even though she ignored the beast, the penguin didn’t like it.  Not one whit.  Puffing his feathers out again, he charged the brown beast, only to be knocked off his feet again.  Pain left him breathless, but he slowly struggled to his feet.   He’d defend his lady love to the death!

But she....  She ran up to him, staying between him and the big creature, and stopped him once more.  Concern glimmered in those giant aqua eyes that reminded him of the sea.  She meowed again, a warning not to interfere, as the two felines walked away from him.

He didn’t understand.  It didn’t make any sense.

He honked his displeasure, but he did as he was bid.  She was his everything, after all.  He would die for her.  And if she didn’t want him interfering, then... he wouldn’t interfere.

It hurt though.  It hurt terribly.  Perhaps she wanted to be with her own kind?  Staring down at his flippers, he felt sadness well up inside him.  He wasn’t a cat, but a penguin -- a creature of the sea.  She was a creature of the land.  She didn’t even _like_ water.  Inadequacy rose up within him.  Why couldn’t he have been born a cat?  Glancing over his shoulder, he saw her curl up into a ball as the big cat sat down beside her, his tail teasing hers.

The penguin’s shoulders sagged.  There was no way he could compete with the giant intruder, and even if he could, his fluffy love had rejected him, preferring that... creature.  He stared down at his flippers again.  He couldn’t even hold onto what was his.  He had come three thousand miles, and for what?  To be rejected by the love of his life.  How was he to live now?  Feeling like a complete and utter failure, he waddled to a comfortable rock and watched the two felines.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

The big cat gave the kitten the chills.  She didn’t like him -- hated him, in fact -- but he would have killed her penguin, and she couldn’t have that.  Sending her love away, she hoped he would understand her decision to suffer the interloper’s attention until he got bored and left.  With any luck, that would be soon.  She had seen the hurt on her penguin’s face -- the disappointment and the shock -- which was quite painful to see, but she would make it up to him.  Once the brown menace left, she would do something nice for her companion.  Maybe a back massage?  He liked that.  The trills he made always warmed her heart.

Her happy thoughts were interrupted by the big cat, who nosed her.  Hackles rising, she hissed at him, but he merely grinned at her and rubbed against her cheek.  Disgusted, she got to her feet to leave, but he put a big paw in front of her, barring her escape.  Maybe if she ignored him harder, he’d go away...?  Curling into a little ball, she hoped he’d leave her alone.  Instead he stretched out and cuddled next to her.  She thought she was going to vomit.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

From the far end of the pool, the penguin watched the big cat entwine himself around the little kitten.  He let out a keening cry before he lay down on his stomach and rested his beak on the flat rock.  Depression swamped his insides.  Why had he come back?  He should have stayed in the southern seas with his own kind.  But... he couldn’t stay away from his love.  What would he do without her?  She was his heart, his soul.  He was nothing without her.  There would never be anyone for him but her.

His sad eyes watched her from afar.  He was well aware of the fact that she was not a penguin, and that she might not even feel the same love he felt for her.  He wasn’t her kind, after all.  No doubt she thought he was a freak.  His chest tightened as he saw the big cat grin at him.  He wanted to close his eyes and block the sight of them together, and yet he couldn’t.  His gaze was drawn to his little furry companion, and the behemoth surrounding her.  It was torture, and yet he couldn’t look away.  He loved her, after all.  That would never change.  A heavy sigh escaped him as he wished he was somewhere else.   _Anywhere_ else.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

“Weaponizer looks sad.”

At Trixie’s words, Lucifer looked up from his knitting -- a blue cup cozy for Chloe’s favorite mug.  Following the little girl’s gaze, he saw the penguin laying out on the rock, completely devoid of the happiness he usually exhibited.  “How very odd.”

Having just made himself comfortable on the couch, the fallen angel sighed, put his project aside, and rose to his feet.  Scanning the area for Findus, he spotted the little cat curled up with Caruso.  Annoyance welled up inside him at the sight, and his eyes narrowed.  “Perhaps we should remove the interloper from the premises.”

When Trixie looked at the two cats, her expression grew as dark as a thundercloud.  “I’ll get rid of him.”  As she ran to the cats, Caruso took one look at her and darted further into the house.  The little girl chased after him, yelling for him to stop.

Lucifer watched the little spawn race after the cat, then strode over to Weaponizer.  Sitting next to him on the rock, he stroked the little black body.  “Girlfriend troubles, eh?”

Sighing heavily, the penguin didn’t even look up.

“Right.  You’ve come three thousand miles for her.  There’s no way she wouldn’t see that as devotion.”

Weaponizer blinked, but otherwise didn’t move.

Lucifer rolled his eyes.  “Bloody hell, I’m consoling a penguin,” he muttered to himself as he pulled at the back of his neck.  He looked down at the bird and stroked his feathers again.  “Look, I’m sure she’s not interested in that bloke.  He’s an ugly git, while you, on the other hand, are quite splendid in your tuxedo finery.”

The bird let out another sigh.

Looking around for Findus, the fallen angel spotted the little kitten dashing up to him, tripping over her paws in her haste.  Scooping her up, he placed her right next to the penguin... but he still did not move.

“Oh come on, you prat.  She’s here now!”

The little kitten licked Weaponizer’s cheek, but he merely closed his eyes.  Not one to be easily dissuaded, she nuzzled up next to him and lay her chin on his back.  He sighed again but did not move.

Lucifer shook his head at the bird’s stubbornness.  “Bloody hell, you’d think it was the end of the world!”  As he got to his feet, Findus gazed up at him, her eyes full of pleading.  The fallen angel shook his head.  “I’m sorry, love, but this is beyond my area of expertise.  I’m the Devil, not a love doctor!”  When she continued to stare at him with sad eyes, he rubbed his forehead.  “Right.  I’ll get him some Prozac or something.”

As he walked away from the pair, Trixie came running up, her face in distress.  “I can’t find Caruso anywhere.  He must be hiding in one of the rooms.”

Lucifer’s brows drew together as he glanced back at the hall to the bedrooms.  “He’s bound to come out some time, child.  When he does, we’ll kick him out.  We can’t have a depressed penguin on our hands!”

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

“Do you have any Prozac?”

Lucifer’s question caught Chloe completely off-guard.  Having just returned from the grocery store, she was busy thinking about making dinner, not... antidepressants.  Actually, her mind was hung up on Lucifer’s question about what kind of child they would have if they had sex, which she struggled to put firmly out of her mind.  It was a rhetorical question.  There was no way he was interested in having a child with her.  He was quite adamant about his dislike for children.  He might want to have sex with her, but she was sure it was because of the novelty factor.  He didn’t really care -- he was a serial playboy.  Once they had sex, he’d move on to the next lucky woman.  Nodding to herself that concentrating on dinner was the right thing to do, she put her bags down on the kitchen counter.  “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

As she turned to look at Lucifer, her brain instantly saw him playing with a young boy with tousled black, curly hair -- a little clone of him.  Geez, she was losing it!  Biting the inside of her cheek, she struggled to get her errant thoughts under control.

Completely oblivious to what she was thinking, he stared back innocently at her.  “Do you have any Prozac?”

That was what she had thought he said.  “What in the world do you need that for?”

He waved vaguely at the great room.  “The ninny is depressed.”

Why was she not surprised?  Rolling her eyes, she wondered why she had even asked.  Of _course_ the penguin would need Prozac!  Turning toward him, she put one hand on her hip and glared.  “I do not have any Prozac, and even if I did, I wouldn’t give it to you.”

The tall man pursed his lips in thought.  “I didn’t think you were the type to have that sort of thing.”  Nodding to himself, he reached into a cabinet next to her and pulled out a bottle of Scotch.  “Right.  Alcohol will have to do.”

Chloe stared at him, not quite believing her ears.  “You want to give alcohol.  To a penguin.”

Lucifer smiled reassuringly at her.  “It’s perfectly fine, Detective.  I’ve given him alcohol before.  He can’t seem to hold his liquor, but since it’s an emergency --”

Her hand shot out and grabbed the bottle from him.  “You are _not_ giving alcohol to a penguin.”

Blinking with surprise, he cocked his head and furrowed his brows.  “Whyever not?  If it helps his condition --”

Sighing heavily, she couldn’t believe she had to actually explain why giving alcohol to a penguin was a bad thing.  “Alcohol doesn’t help anyone’s condition --”

He gave her a wicked grin.  “I beg to differ --”

Chloe shook her head firmly as she put the bottle away.  “No.  I do not want a drunk penguin on my hands... and whatever his problem is, alcohol is not the answer.”  She squinted at him.  “What _is_ his problem?”

Lucifer fidgeted and thrust his hands in his pockets.  “Right.  The bloody bird has love problems.”

For a moment she just stared at him, before roaring with laughter.  Now she had heard everything!  “Love problems?”

He nodded even as a pink flush spread across his cheeks.  “That’s right.  It seems the prat has a rival for Findus’s affections.”

Chloe felt a sinking in her stomach.   _Oh no...._  “Caruso.  I told Trixie that stray was going to cause problems....”

“Right.  We’re trying to oust the wretch, but we can’t find him.  He seems to have hidden himself in one of the rooms -- but don’t worry, Detective!  We’ll get him out.”

“I hope so.”  She started putting the groceries away.  “After traveling three thousand miles, the last thing Weaponizer needs is for Findus to run off with another cat.”

“Very true.”  Lucifer’s eye twitched as he studied the boxes of frozen food she was leaving out on the counter.  “You... you aren’t planning on eating those, are you?”

She looked up to see her partner making a face of disgust.  Chuckling, she said, “Why yes, you snob, we are eating frozen food for dinner tonight.”

With a roll of his eyes, he swept the boxes off the counter and into the trash bin.  As she cried out in protest, he proudly pointed to his chest with his thumb.   _“I’ll_ make dinner.  Leave this job to the professional, Detective.”

As he ushered her out of the kitchen, a warmth filled Chloe’s heart.  He was becoming much too important to her!  She had to get herself under control.  Grateful for any distraction from her thoughts, she went searching for Trixie, with the intention of helping her with her homework.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

Eventually the penguin stirred from his rock.  The weight of his love’s head on his back felt so good!  He wanted to stay like that forever, but... he knew it wouldn’t last.  He was a freak, after all.  Not a cat.  Unacceptable in her eyes.  Sighing, he slowly eased away from the little kitten, being careful not to wake her as he slipped into the water.  He swam to the shallow side of the pool and popped out.  Looking over his shoulder, he saw that his love was still asleep.  Nodding to himself, he shook himself off and waddled toward the two-legged giants.

A strange smell assaulted his nose.  Not fish, not... anything he could discern, but he recognized it as food.  Giant food.  Busy eating, the giants didn’t seem to notice him as they talked amongst themselves.  Waddling past them, he saw that there was a pile of tasty fish in a plate waiting for him, as well as a bowl of the food his love always ate.  Cocking his head, he studied the fish, then glanced down at his stomach.  He wasn’t hungry.  He turned his gaze to the kitten, still sleeping on the rock.  She would like some fish, though, wouldn’t she?  Would she even accept it from him?  Probably not -- she liked the big cat, after all.  He wilted.

Picking out the tastiest fish, he laid it on top of the kitten’s food, then waddled off to one of the rooms where he could hide himself from the world.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

The kitten jolted awake, aware that something was missing.  Looking around, she saw that her penguin was gone.  Panic filled her.  Where was he?  Had he gone to confront the big, ugly cat?   _No._  He couldn’t do that -- he’d get himself killed!  Scanning the far side of the room, she didn’t see him by the giants.  Should she alert the Shining One?  He was her favorite of all the two-legged creatures -- he glowed, even though the other giants didn’t seem to notice, and his aura was warm and gentle.  Perhaps she could get him to help...?  But he seemed preoccupied with the other giants....  She doubted he would be of assistance right now.

She’d have to find her penguin, herself.  Rising to her feet, she hurried over to the other rooms.  The first one she entered was empty.  Disappointed, she started back down the hall, when she caught sight of something slinking along ahead of her -- the big cat.  Suddenly filled with trepidation, she faltered.  Perhaps she should go back to where the giants were -- she really didn’t want to go near him.  She hated how he had curled himself next to her.  As if he could replace her penguin -- the nerve!

Then again....  Her feathered companion was somewhere around, and what if the big cat should run into him again?  He could get hurt -- maybe even killed -- if she wasn’t around to intercede.  As quietly as she could, she followed the brown creature, watching as he turned into the room where the smallest giant liked to stay.  For a moment she hesitated, then, gathering her courage, went in.

The room was softly lit in a flickering orangish glow.  Emanating from the top of a large wooden block in the corner, the lighting cast eerie shadows on the walls, making the big cat ahead of her look larger than he was.  The ugly interloper walked over to the corner and started batting at something.  She couldn’t see....  Squinting, she took a few tentative steps forward.

The monster was hitting her penguin!  With a cry, she ran at the big cat, unfurling her claws and jumping on his back.  Yowling in pain, he bucked and twisted, knocking over a round hollow thing filled with paper in the process.  Trying to fling her off, the brown feline finally slammed his back -- and her -- into the wall.  Unable to hold on, she let go and slumped to the floor.  Fear filled her as the big cat loomed menacingly over her.  As he raised a paw with sharp claws extended, a loud squawk tore his attention away from her.  The kitten looked over to see her beloved penguin coming to her rescue!

The brown bully hissed and clawed at the bird, but the penguin was all spit and fury, attacking viciously with his beak and flippers.  The big cat slammed his paw into his attacker, knocking him into the big wooden block.  Righting himself right away, the penguin threw himself back at the cat, screaming with rage and pecking with all his might.  Shocked at the bird’s vehemence, the cat swiped his claws at his opponent, drawing blood, then threw him against the wooden block.  It wobbled once -- twice -- before the flickering light came tumbling down from its surface and crashed onto the pile of papers.

A giant whoosh erupted as bright orange flickery light exploded on the floor, and heat like the kitten had never felt before seared the air.  Scared, the big cat took off running, while the penguin jumped back from the hot flickery light that was growing in size.  The bird ran to the kitten, squawking at her to move.  She dashed out, intent on getting the giants, while the penguin followed more slowly.

Although she was small and clumsy, she was fast when she needed to be.  In seconds she had thrown herself on the lap of the Shining One and dug her claws in.  She heard him yelp in pain.  Good -- she had his attention.  Jumping off, she raced back toward the hall, her eyes scanning the area for her penguin.  He was nowhere to be seen.   _Where was he?!_

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

Findus digging her claws perilously close to Lucifer’s wedding tackle caught the fallen angel’s attention.  Cursing, he started to scold the kitten, when she raced back to the hall.  Puzzled by the kitten’s odd behavior, he excused himself from Chloe and Trixie and followed.

As he strode after her, walking down the hall, he smelled something that normally wasn’t in the air unless it was wildfire season -- smoke.  His heart stopped for an instant before pounding like a jackhammer as he quickened his pace.  Findus stopped at Trixie’s bedroom.  Lucifer could see flickering light casting odd shadows in the gap where the door was slightly open.  Swearing, he flung the door wide, to see bright orange flames reaching for the ceiling as they engulfed the curtains, as well as the papers in the overturned trash can.

“Bloody hell!” he spat.  “Fire!” he bellowed over his shoulder to his partner even as the smoke detector suddenly went off, its klaxon call screaming in the still air.

Diving into the room, he nearly tripped over Weaponizer lying on the ground. Scooping up the little bird, he thrust him at Chloe as he ran further into the room, stripping his suit jacket off as he did so.  He beat at the flames on the drapes, but the fire kept climbing upwards.  Grabbing the burning curtains, he yanked them onto the floor.  If he could just keep it contained in one spot, he could get it out.

Thick smoke rose, stinging his eyes and burning his lungs.  Coughing, he worked hard to extinguish the fire.  He was surprised to find Chloe suddenly by his side, fire extinguisher in hand, trying to put the flames out.

Bloody hell, she should be outside and safe, rather than putting herself in danger!

“Get yourself, Beatrice and the animals to safety!” he yelled as he yanked the extinguisher from her hands.

“I’m not leaving you!”

“Now’s not the time to be arguing, Detective!  Get yourself and your daughter to safety!”  Ignoring her angry cry, he gave her a hard thrust out of the room, then slammed the door shut and shoved a chair under its handle.  Coughing and inhaling far too much smoke, he battled the fire alone.  He couldn’t understand why he was having so much trouble breathing, since he was the Lord of Hell and smoke was nothing new to him, but then realized that it was his proximity to Chloe that was causing it.

Cursing his mortality, he continued to work until the flames were completely out.  His fine Armani suit was ruined, but he didn’t care.  All that mattered was that the detective and her child were safe.  Panting hard, he struggled to catch his breath.  His lungs burned like fire, and his head pounded horribly.  Nausea swept through him, twisting his stomach into knots.

The door burst open with a crash, and firefighters spilled into the room.  Their strong hands grabbed him and pulled him out as they checked out the damage.  Lucifer had the strange urge to start laughing, but he couldn’t understand why.  From relief, perhaps?  The need to throw up overwhelmed him.  Pushing away the paramedic trying to help him, he rushed to the guest bathroom and fell to his knees by the commode, heaving into it like a silly human who had drunk far too much fine alcohol.

Leaning on the edge of the bowl, he rested his forehead against his forearm and tried to catch his breath.  When he finally lifted his head, he was surprised to find Chloe kneeling beside him, her hands helping him to his feet.  Her arms went around him as she urged him to lean on her and walk.

“The fire --” he said.

Her voice was gentle.  “It’s out, Lucifer.  You did good.  Come on.”

The soft warmth of her against him made him feel... safe.  Protected.  It was odd, really.  He couldn’t remember ever feeling safe.  When he was a young angel, before Dad sent him to light the stars, he had had to defend himself against many of his jealous brothers.  Although he had lost many battles when they ganged up him, no one ever stopped the bullies.  Later, when he tried to be his own man and asked for free will, his siblings let him suffer Dad’s wrath alone and Fall.  No one came to his aid.  Oh, in Hell there had been demons aplenty to protect him, but it wasn’t the same.  They had been forged in the bowels of Hell, and he was their master.  They did as he commanded.  It wasn’t protection or alliances freely given.  They hadn’t been... friends.

And yet here was Chloe -- a mere mortal -- helping him.   Aiding the Devil!  She hadn’t abandoned him to fight the fire by himself -- she’d tried to help.  Even now, when the danger was over, she was beside him, caring for him, treating him like... a loved one.  His eyes stung, and it wasn’t because of the smoke -- although he told himself it was.  Squeezing his eyes shut, he wished she wasn’t a mortal.  He wished he had met her long ago.  He wished....

He let out a hoarse chuckle.  Right.  He was a fool.

The paramedic he had pushed away earlier stepped in now, taking him away from Chloe and leading him to the couch.  Sitting Lucifer down, the man handed him a mask.  As the fallen angel gratefully inhaled the oxygen, the paramedic took a look at the burns on his hands.  Lucifer blinked in surprise.  He had been burned?  When had that happened?  His memory seemed a bit hazy.  Perhaps when he pulled the curtains down?  Ridiculous, really, that the Lord of Hell should suffer burns....

Things became blurry from that point on.  People he didn’t know walked in and out of the house, dressed in drab brown jackets with yellow reflective stripes.  They looked around, talked to Chloe, and even tried to talk to him, even though he didn’t want to answer.  He was happy inhaling oxygen, which made him feel much better.  At one point Trixie came up to him, holding a bloody Weaponizer in her arms.  Fishing out the phone from his pocket, he called the avian veterinarian to come quickly.  Then more people were talking, but he stopped listening.  The paramedic treated his hands, then poked and prodded him, wanting him to breathe in and out as he listened to his lungs, which annoyed the fallen angel greatly. Even though his lungs still burned and his hands hurt, Lucifer just wanted to be left alone.  For the most part, though, he cooperated with them.

But when they tried to take him to the hospital, he put his foot down.

“No.  I’m not going.”

Chloe glared at him.  “Yes, you are.”

“No, I’m not.  I’m not going to have some quack with a pointy stick prod me up my --”

“They won’t do that.  You have to go.  You’re suffering from smoke inhalation, carbon monoxide poisoning, burned hands, and God knows what else --”

“Dad always knows, but he doesn’t give a damn -- the bastard,” he said, then coughed.

Chloe flung her hands up in the air.  “You see?  You _see?_  You sound horrible.  You need to go --”

“I _won’t.”_

“You need help --”

Lucifer lowered his tone to a sexy pitch -- well, it would have been sexy, had he not been hoarse.  Instead, his voice just sounded gravelly and raw.  “I have you.”

Chloe rolled her eyes, but the blush that stained her cheeks ruined the effect.  “But --”

“Please,” he said.  It wasn’t a word he used often, for his brothers had often made him beg for mercy when he was young.  After his rough childhood, he always considered the word to be a sign of weakness.  But she wasn’t a sibling, was she?  She was Chloe, his... everything.  She wouldn’t use it against him -- he could feel it in his bones.

Frowning, she sat down beside him, stroking his bandaged hands.  “Lucifer, be reasonable.  You inhaled a lot of smoke and your hands are burned.  You need to see a doctor.”

“No.”  He shook his head.  “I...”  His throat hurt.  Swallowing hard against the roughness, he tried again.  “I’m fine.”

Her brows furrowed in frustration.  “You are _not_ fine.  Look at you --”

He shook his head.  “Please.”  Too tired to sit up anymore, he let himself slump against her.  He really wasn’t feeling very good, and just wanted to sleep.  Before he knew it, he found himself lying down on the couch, with his head in her lap.  Oh, what a wonderful place to be!  Too bad he was too incapacitated to do much about it.  “Please....”

She sighed heavily.  “Silly man,” she said, but her fingers were gentle as they brushed the hair back from his forehead and caressed his cheek.  He heard her dismiss the paramedic and breathed a sigh of relief.

He didn’t know how long he lay there, with her hand softly stroking his cheek, but just as he was on the fringe of sleep, he felt something soft touch his forehead.  Her lips?  Had she just kissed him?  He tried to smile, but was far too exhausted to do so.  His last coherent thought was a happy one -- he was wearing her down!  Eventually they would have sex....

 

 

________________________________________

  


The ache behind Lucifer’s eyes was what woke him up.  That, and his sore throat, which he decided he did _not_ like.  The Lord of Hell should never have fire-related injuries -- why, the very idea was absurd!  Not only that, but he reeked of smoke!  Prying open his eyes, he was disappointed to find himself alone on the couch.  Lucifer frowned.  Hadn’t he rested his head on Chloe’s lap last night?  He could have sworn... but he had never felt her leave.  Had he been so exhausted from fighting a tiny fire that he didn’t even know she had left?  And had she kissed his forehead?  He couldn’t be sure....

Blinking, he looked around.  The great room was softly lit by the brightening sky as the sun rose, the colors of the room still muted with touches of gray.  He glanced at the coffee table and saw the penguin lying on his stomach, resting on the pillow that Chloe had knitted for him.  The bird’s chest was wrapped with bandages, giving him the appearance of a wounded warrior.  Findus slept beside him, tucked under his wing.

Lucifer smiled at the sight as warmth seeped from his heart into the rest of his body, then he scowled at his reaction.  He was turning soft -- soft!  What would his siblings think of him?  And Maze would laugh her head off....

With a sigh, he held up his bandaged hands and studied them.  Bloody hell, he looked like a mummy.  No, worse -- his hands resembled Weaponizer’s flippers.  How was he to drink his Scotch, or drive, or make love to the detective like this?  He started to rub his forehead, but stopped when pain speared his hands.  Damn it all, he was going to be as incapacitated as a baby until his burns got better!

As Lucifer shifted on the couch, Weaponizer lifted his head and looked at him, then stood up on the coffee table.  Findus awoke as well, blinking blearily at the bird.  The fallen angel lifted an eyebrow as Weaponizer tottered away from her.  That was odd.  Usually the penguin couldn’t bear to be away from her....

Without warning, the penguin leaped at Lucifer.  He would have fallen into the gap between the coffee table and the couch, but the fallen angel’s lightning-fast reflexes saved him from a tumble.  Bandaged hands shooting out, Lucifer grabbed the penguin and lifted him onto his chest.

“What are you up to?” he asked the bird, who squawked sadly at him.

Lucifer glanced over at Findus, who took a running leap and jumped onto him, landing close to the penguin.  A look of horror fell across Weaponizer’s face as he tried to run away from the kitten, who stayed in hot pursuit.  The two animals scrambled all over fallen angel, wringing curses from him as they chased each other.

“Stop!” he finally cried as Weaponizer threw himself onto the cushion next to the fallen angel’s head and tried to bury himself there.  Reaching up with his mummy hands, Lucifer pulled the bird out and looked into his eyes.  “What is going on with you?”  He glanced at Findus, who sat on his chest and looked like she was going to cry.  “You’re hurting your girlfriend’s feelings!”

Weaponizer gave a woeful honk as the fallen angel stood him up on his chest, next to the little kitten.  The penguin glanced at her, then down at his flippers, then back at Lucifer.  Gazing at his furry companion, his shoulders slumped and he let out a keening cry.  Findus circled him and ran her tail under his chin, but when he didn’t move, she cried piteously and curled up into a little ball by herself.

Rolling his eyes, Lucifer reached over and stroked the little kitten with his bandaged hand, then glared at the penguin.  “You bloody prat,” he admonished.  “Your girlfriend wants to be with you!  You should be happy.”

Weaponizer looked away, shifting from foot to foot before squawking at the fallen angel.

Frowning, Lucifer studied him.  “You traveled three thousand miles to be with her.  Are you really going to let some tosser get between you two?  Are you really that much of a fool?”

The penguin stared at the fallen angel for a long while, before morosely glancing at the kitten.  She rested her head on her paws and stared up at him with sorrowful eyes.

“Right.  Findus doesn’t care that you’re a bird, and you don’t care she’s a cat.  What’s important is that you have each other.”  Lucifer touched the bandages on the bird with a gentle hand.  “It looks like you fought for her, and seeing as how she’s with you and not the other bloke, I’d say that you won.  Now go on, make up.”  When the bird hesitated, he turned and pushed him toward the kitten.  “Go on!”

Weaponizer honked once and took a tentative step toward Findus.  Bowing low, he chirped quietly at her.  Her face lighting up like the sun, Findus jumped to her feet and closed the distance between them, pressing herself close to the penguin and rubbing her cheek against him.  Weaponizer gave out trills of delight, his face full of joy as he looked at Lucifer with grateful eyes.

“Ninny,” Lucifer said, although his voice was tender.  Shaking his head at himself, the fallen angel snorted with disgust. Look at what he had been reduced to -- a relationship counselor between a penguin and a cat!  Even as he thought that, though, warmth filled his heart, leaving him with a nice toasty glow inside.

Findus suddenly started kneading his shirt, digging in her little claws as she started making a nest for her and her boyfriend.  Gasping at the sharp pain, the fallen angel lifted her off of his chest.  “And this is the thanks I get?” he complained to the little kitten, before he set her on the pillow on the coffee table.  Picking up the bird, he placed Weaponizer next to her.  “Make a nest there.”

Meowing happily, Findus got to work, making a nice comfortable nest for her and the penguin.  When it was ready, Weaponizer stepped in the middle of it and lay down.  The two animals cuddled next to each other and promptly fell asleep.

Lucifer’s mouth quirked up as he watched them, then shook his head.  Those two scamps were made for each other.  Truth be told, he was a little envious of them.  They were so sure of what they wanted, and it was so obvious they belonged together.... Why couldn’t his life be as clear-cut as that?

With a groan, he pulled himself to a seated position.  Just as he did so, Chloe walked into the room, already dressed in a simple white blouse and black leggings.  Lucifer’s breath caught at the sight of her.  She was so radiant, so stunning, so...

Perfect.  Like... like she was his Findus.

For a moment his brain just sat there, stunned at the revelation.  He had a hard time comprehending the concept.  The very notion was ridiculous, of course!  He was not a penguin, and the detective was not a small furball with claws!  And yet....

Eyes softening as he looked upon her, he tried to speak, but his voice caught in his throat and all that came out was a croak.  Swallowing hard, he tried again.  “Detective.”

Taking a seat beside him, Chloe gently took one of his bandaged hands and held it in both of hers.  Warmth shot through Lucifer at her touch as heat raced into his cheeks.  Would she kiss him?  He really wanted her to kiss him....

“How do you feel?”

He gave her a cocky grin.  “Better than yesterday.”

She snorted.  “You would have felt even better if you had gone to the hospital.”

Tilting his head, he studied her with puzzled eyes.  “But I didn’t need to go.  I had you.”

There it was again -- that charming blush she had exhibited the night before, when he said something similar.  His heart started thumping hard.  Maybe she would kiss him...?

Clearing her throat, she looked away.  “The firefighters said that the blaze was caused by a candle that fell on the floor.  It seems our animals got into a fight, knocking over the burning candle Trixie had left on her nightstand.  She promised never to leave a candle unattended again.” Chloe released his hand to lean forward and stroke the back of the penguin on the coffee table.  The bird opened one eye and glanced up at her, then went back to sleep.  “Weaponizer got into a fight with Caruso.  Trixie and I were finally able to corner him and get him out of the house.”

“Splendid!  That wretch deserves to be punished.”  Lucifer followed her gaze to the bird.  “I’m glad our penguin got some doctoring.”

“Unlike _someone_ I know.”  She glared at him pointedly before continuing.  “Your vet friend came last night after you passed out --”

“I didn’t pass out!” he protested.  “I fell asleep.”

She rolled her eyes.  “After you _passed out,_ she came and took care of him.  She said Weaponizer will always have scars across his chest, but he will be okay.  He’s one lucky bird.”  She slid a glance his way.  “Just like you.”

His eyebrows raised.  “I do believe that’s the second time you’ve called me a bird, Detective.  Last time you called me one hell of a penguin.”

“And this time you’re one lucky bird,” she said with a slight smile, before the expression of amusement fell from her face as if it had never been.  “Lucifer....”

Uh-oh, this sounded serious. “Yes?”

Chloe sighed.  “You could have died.”

He eyed her warily, not sure where the conversation was headed.  “But I didn’t.”

“But you could have.”  Her aqua eyes shot to his, full of concern and... something else.  Something the fallen angel couldn’t identify.  “You have to stop trying to kill yourself.”

His eyebrows shot toward his hairline.  “Kill myself?”  He laughed.  “Detective, I assure you that’s the last thing on my mind.”

”Then why do you keep putting yourself in danger?”

“I don’t.”

She gave him a skeptical look.  “Oh really?  Jumping into a burning room to put out a fire by yourself is not trying to kill yourself?  And then refusing to have a doctor look at you?  That’s not suicidal?”

He tossed his head and gave a disdainful sniff.  “I am not suicidal.  I am well aware that it appears that way, but I was in no danger --”

Chloe lifted one of his burned hands by the wrist.  “Oh, really?”

His cheeks grew hot at her comment and he snatched his hand away from her.  “As I was saying, I’m not suicidal.”

“You fought a shark and got bitten.  You faced a killer alone.  You traded yourself to three armed robbers for Trixie.  And now you fight a fire alone.  I’d say that you’re suicidal, and....”  She broke off.

Lucifer waited for her to continue.  When she didn’t, he prompted, “And?”

Her voice dropped down to a low timbre.  “And... and I can’t have that.”

“I... I don’t understand.”

Chloe sighed and ran a frustrated hand through her hair.  “You’re going to make me say it, aren’t you?”

Puzzled, he drew his eyebrows together.  “Say what?”

A half-laugh escaped her lips and she shook her head before gazing at him.  Her expression was bleak.  “I can’t have a partner who is suicidal.  You have no sense of self-preservation.”

Lucifer’s heart stuttered, then pounded furiously as his chest tightened until he could barely breathe.  Was she trying to get rid of him?  She didn’t want him as her partner?  All coherent thoughts took flight, leaving him awash with panic.  “Detective, there was no danger --”

She stopped his words with a touch of her index finger to his lips.  “Let me finish.”  Taking a deep breath, she lowered her hand and stared at the penguin and kitten.  “I can’t have a partner who is bent on killing himself.”  When she turned to him, he could see the anguish in her aqua gaze.  “I don’t want to lose you -- it would hurt too much.”

A fierce joy flooded his insides at her words.  She didn’t want to lose him!  Surely that meant she felt something for him?  Might... might they have sex now?

“So unless you can promise me you won’t try to kill yourself again, we can’t be partners.”

“What?”  Lucifer’s euphoria dissipated instantly.  “You... you can’t be serious.”

Chloe said nothing, merely looked hard at him.

Shaken by her proclamation, he struggled to find his equilibrium, laughing a little to hide his discomfiture.  “I assure you, I’m not trying to kill myself!”

“Then promise me,” she said.  “I know you won’t lie, so promise me you’ll stop putting yourself in danger.”

The fallen angel opened his mouth to comply before realizing that if the detective was ever in danger, his promise would prevent him from protecting her.  He couldn’t have that.  She was his... everything.  He suddenly understood what that meant.  He would do anything for her, even die.  Well -- he had died once already, hadn’t he?  But he... he loved her.  It was a hard concept to wrap his head around, for he had never been in love, but he did.

But... if he didn’t promise, she wouldn’t let him be her partner!  He couldn’t have that.   _No._  Everything within him rejected the notion.  He had to fix this -- and fast -- for a life without her was not worth living.

“And what if you’re in danger?  Am I to stand by and watch you die?”  He shook his head.  “I won’t do that, Detective.  I can’t promise you -- but I can assure you that I won’t take unnecessary risks.  I have no intention of dying.”   _Not now, when I have so much to live for...._  “Trust me, Detective.  You won’t regret it.”

For a long moment she gazed at him, considering his words.  Lucifer was afraid that perhaps she would press him to promise, but at last she sighed and nodded.  “I trust you, Lucifer.  I always have.  I always will.”

Breaking out into a grin, Lucifer struggled not to grab her and twirl her around the room.  He really couldn’t do that with his burned hands, but the urge was there.  She trusted him!  How those little words meant so much to him, for no one in his entire existence had ever truly trusted him.  And oddly, Chloe giving her trust was so much more profound than anything else she could have said to him....  Well, other than that she wanted to have sex with him, of course!

“Thank you, Detective.”

“But I’m warning you, Lucifer -- if you try to kill yourself again to protect me, I swear I’ll... I’ll....”

“You’ll what?”  His eyes lit up with unholy glee.  “You’ll kiss me senseless?  You’ll engage me in a sex marathon?  You’ll --”

“I’ll punch you in the eye if you don’t shut up!”  Her face had turned bright red, but she was smiling as she said it, so Lucifer knew she wasn’t serious.  Not that he’d mind if she was serious -- she was so beautiful when angry!  He loved her fire....

With a wicked grin, he waggled his eyebrows at her.  “It would be worth it if we had sex.”

She laughed, as he had meant for her to do.  “You’re incorrigible.”

“Yes, I am.”  Leaning close to her, he lifted his chin and sensuously closed his eyes partway as he gave her his most sultry gaze.  “Come on, Detective -- what do you say?”

“I say I have to make breakfast.”

His eyes filled with excitement.  “That’s not a no,” he said.  Chuckling, Chloe started to get up, but he stopped her with a tentative, “Detective....”

Her eyes twinkled as she turned to him with an inquisitive gaze.  “Yes?”

Suddenly filled with nervousness, Lucifer felt his face grow hot.  “I... I....”

“Yes?”

Unable to hold her gaze, he grabbed the knitting basket on the floor by the couch and pulled it onto his lap.  Plunging his bandaged hand in, he rummaged through it.  “I... I have something....”  Even the tips of his ears were burning!  “I knitted something --”

Bloody hell, this was hard!  He should be smooth, suave, cool....  He was the Devil, for goodness’ sake!

As his hand closed on the object he had knitted for her the other day, he froze.  Doubt assailed him as he sat there like a bloody prat with his hand stuck in the basket.  What if she didn’t like it?  What if she thought he was a twitterpated fool?  His hand clenched on the knitting.  Maybe he shouldn’t give it to her --

“What did you make?” she asked, peering into the basket to see what he was holding.

 _No._  He couldn’t give it to her.  She’d laugh --

“Ah... right.  Never mind.  It’s not worth your time.”  He tried to pull the basket away from her, but she held on with a tenacious grip.  Her smiling eyes looked up at him.

“You’re blushing -- let me see.”

“No, really, Detective, it’s not --”

Weaponizer suddenly opened his eyes and gave a loud squawk, startling both of them.  Lucifer’s grip loosened just enough for Chloe to rip the knitting out of his hand.  He winced as she pulled out the red object.  Scowling at the bird, the fallen angel said, “Traitor.”

The penguin merely gave him a smug look before going back to sleep.

Chloe held up the funny looking object that looked like a mitten, but with two wrist openings.  “What is this?”

Feeling his face burn even hotter than before, he ducked his head with embarrassment.  His voice dropped to an almost inaudible level.  “It’s... it’s a hand-holding mitten.”

With incredulous eyes, the blonde detective glanced at the red mitten, then back at him.  “A what?”

“For when we go ice skating, because I can’t skate on my own yet, and I need to hold onto your hand to stay upright.”  His words came tumbling out, tripping over each other as he struggled to explain.  “I thought that it might be nice to have a mitten to keep our hands warm in the cold rink.  And I knitted mittens for the other hand....”  His voice petered out as he squeezed his eyes shut.

_Please don’t laugh, please don’t laugh, please don’t laugh...._

The feel of her soft lips on his cheek had his eyes flying open.  Turning, he saw her leaning close to him, her face a charming pink and her expression warm and kind.

“I’d be honored to wear it when skating with you.”

He gaped at her, his heart hammering fiercely in his chest.  “Detective....”

She gave him a tender smile.  Time suddenly stopped as he studied Chloe -- so beautiful, so gentle, so close...!  As they gazed deep into each other’s eyes, Lucifer swore he saw a glimpse of future happiness.  Laughter.  Love.  Eternity.  She was his everything --

And then, with a self-conscious chuckle, she straightened away from him and cleared her throat.  “Um... yeah.  I gotta go make --”

“Right.  You have to --”

“Go make --”

“You are going to --”

She pointed toward the kitchen.  “Breakfast --”

Lucifer blinked.  The spell was broken.  “Right. Breakfast.”

His heart sang as he watched her walk to the kitchen to start cooking.  She had said she would wear the mitten!  She hadn’t laughed!  Not only that, but she had _kissed_ him!

Feeling like he had just lit all the stars in the sky, his face softened into a tender expression.  Might she possibly return his affections...?  Excitement shot through his insides.  If that was the case, then he’d do whatever it took to win her love.  But what could he do?  She certainly wasn’t impressed by his fine -- nay, glorious -- looks, or his monetary assets.  Eyebrows furrowing, he thought hard, then mentally snapped his fingers as his face lit up.  Right.  Impress her -- that was the key!  He would do something so spectacular that she couldn’t help but notice what a fine catch he was!

With a heart full of hope, the Devil started making plans as he sauntered over to the kitchen to keep his love company.

 

 


End file.
